Psalm 1 The first Psalm speaks to us about two ways of living – the Lord’s way and the world’s way. Each of us must choose. When we choose God’s way, His blessing fills our lives. We must not turn away from Him, and lose out on His blessing. May God help us to keep …
Tag: Psalms
Come To Christ And Receive His "Mercy" And "Grace."
Psalms 69:1-36 David is going through ‘the deep waters’ of suffering. He prays to the Lord for deliverance from ‘the flood’ and ‘the deep’(14-15). He had sinned against the Lord. He does not try to hide this. He confesses his sin and guilt - ‘the wrongs that I have done are not hidden from You, …
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Grace has been given to us …
22nd June : Mark 4:1-34 God's Word carries this message: 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says...' (9; Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22). We must listen for the voice of the Spirit. Grace has been 'given' to us (11). It is God's gift. To God be the glory! Sadly, some refuse …
God Doesn’t Keep His Distance – And He Doesn’t Keep His Silence.
The Lord, our God, is “King of the whole earth. He rules the nations” (Psalm 46:10; Psalm 47:7-9). The Lord is great. He is “the great King” (Psalm 48:14). The Lord does not remain detached from us in isolated heavenly glory. He comes to us as the God of our salvation - “God will buy …
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The supreme demonstration of the love of God …
Matthew 26:1-13 Jesus was on His way to the Cross (2). His death was the direct result of the hatred of men (3-4). It was also the supreme demonstration of the love of God (Romans 5:8). In verses 6-13, we read of a woman who loved Jesus very much. Jesus was deeply moved by her …
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“Give thanks to the Lord.”
Psalm 107 calls us to “give thanks to the Lord” (Psalm 107:1,8,15,21,31). When we hear the call to “give thanks to the Lord”, our response is to be ‘I want to give thanks to You among the people, O Lord” (Psalm 108:3). “With my mouth I will give many thanks to the Lord, I will …
Worship …
Psalm 17 1) Worship with sincerity (Psalm 17:1-5). 2) Worship the Saviour (Psalm 17:6-9). 3) Worship despite setbacks (Psalm 17:10-14). 4) Worship with satisfaction (Psalm 17:15). ----- 1) Worship with sincerity (Psalm 17:1-5). God calls us to be sincere. Without sincerity, we can never offer true worship to the Lord. We are not, however, at …
The Lord’s people must not be afraid to stand up for Him …
Jeremiah 52:1-34; Titus 1:1-16; Psalm 119:105-112 The final chapter of Jeremiah speaks of the fall of Jerusalem, followed by captivity in Babylon. Difficulties face God’s people in every generation: “There are many rebellious people ... “ (Titus 1:10). The Lord’s people must not be afraid to stand up for Him (Titus 1:11). Whatever others may …
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We Have Been Redeemed. Let’s Give Thanks To The Lord.
Psalm 74:1-23 We have been ‘redeemed’. God has brought ‘salvation’ to us (2,12). We rejoice in the Old Testament story of salvation: ‘the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt’(Deuteronomy 7:8). Through Christ, we rejoice with a …
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Christ Is For Everyone.
Psalm 100:1-5 "all the earth" (Psalm 100:1), "through all generations" (Psalm 100:5) - It wasn't just for there and then. It's for here and now. "Every person in every nation in each succeeding generation has the right to hear the news that Christ can save." The Good News of Christ is a message of triumph …
“O Lord My God, I Will Give Thanks To You Forever.”
Psalm 30:1-12 ‘I will exalt You, O Lord’(Psalm 30:1). God is not exalted because we exalt Him. We exalt Him because He is exalted: ‘He is exalted, for ever exalted, and I will praise His Name’(Mission Praise,217). How do we come to the point where we say, ‘I will exalt You, O Lord’? We realize …
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We’re looking for happiness …
"Blessed is the one ... whose delight is in the law of the Lord" (Psalm 1:1-2). We seek for happiness, Where does it come from? It comes from the Lord. It comes to us when we receive his blessing. How does his blessing come to us? It comes to us when we receive his message of …
God Sends ‘His Blessing’ When His People Gather Together For Worship.
Psalms 130:1-131:3 We are not to pray to God with superficial words that don’t mean very much to us. Our prayer is to be a real cry from the heart: ‘Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord’(130:1). We are to ‘cry for mercy’ with a deep awareness of how sinful we really …
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Beyond our salvation, there is God’s glory.
" ... O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name ... provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake!" (Psalm 79:9). Beyond our salvation, there is God's glory. When we think about Christ's atoning sacrifice for sin, we must not think only of the "for us" blessing - the forgiveness of our sins. We must also …
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God’s way of salvation
Psalm 11 This Psalm begins with a tremendous statement of faith - “In the Lord I take refuge.” The whole Psalm should be understood in the light of this tremendous statement of faith. From the vantage-point of faith, the Psalmist is able to overcome the temptation to doubt God (vs. 1-3). His enemies say to …
Above and beyond our life on earth …
"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore" (Psalm 125:1-2). Everything about our life on earth says to us, "Nothing lasts forever." When we lift up our eyes above and beyond our life on earth, we see something …
God loves us with a faithful love, an everlasting love, a love that will not let us go.
Psalm 115:1-18 ‘Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your Name be the glory because of Your love and faithfulness’(Psalm 115:1). God loves us. He loves us with a faithful love, ‘an everlasting love’, a ‘love that will not let us go’. His love ‘never comes to an end’. Nothing can separate …
Jesus Christ – God’s beloved Son …
Monday in Holy Week: Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 36:5-11; Hebrews 9:11-15; John 12:1-11 Jesus Christ is God’s beloved Son - the Saviour sent to us by the God of love. ‘Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, my Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice …
In The House Of The Lord
“One thing have I asked of the Lord…that I may dwell in the House of the Lord…”(Psalm 27:4). Why do we come to the House of the Lord? – We come to offer to Him our heartfelt worship.
What Kind Of Life Are You Living?
Psalm 39:1-13 Some live to a ripe old age. Some die young. How does God view our time on this earth? - This is what the Psalmist says, ‘My life span is nothing compared with Yours’(5). The quality of our living is more important than the quantity of our years. “How am I living?’- This …
A heart of wisdom
"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). "Number our days" - what does this mean? Surely, it means that our life on earth will come to an end. How long will my life be? I don't know the answer to this question. How long will your …
Called to serve the Lord …
Third Sunday in Lent: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42 Called to serve the Lord, we begin with worship, praying and listening to His Word. Worldly people create problems (Exodus 17:3). Moses asks, ‘What shall I do...?’ (Exodus 17:4). Indecision asks, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ (Exodus 17:7). He gives victory …
Praise God for His Deliverance (Psalm 9).
* The Psalmist worships the Lord (Psalm 9:1-2). * He does not speak proud words. He sees all things in the light of the holy God (Psalm 9:3-8). * At the heart of this Psalm, there is a declaration of the character of God (Psalm 9:7-8). * The majesty, righteousness and judgment of God - …
Prayer and the ministry of God’s Word …
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 or Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; Psalm 25:1-9; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32 Prayer and the ministry of God’s Word Worldly people create problems (Exodus 17:3). Moses asks, ‘What shall I do...?’ (Exodus 17:4). Indecision asks, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ (Exodus 17:7). He gives victory (Exodus …
Streams in the desert …
"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion" (Psalm 84:5-7). Often, our life seems like a …
Come Alive In Christ And Let Your Heart Be Filled With Praise To Him.
Psalm 19:1-14 - God reveals Himself in creation and Scripture. He speaks through His created world. He speaks through His written Word. God is always speaking. He is never silent. Through His created world, God is speaking to us - every day, every night. He is showing us His glory (1-2). He makes us aware …
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The world doesn’t like having the Lord’s people among them.
"Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them." (Psalm 105:38) The world doesn't like having the Lord's people among them. It reminds them that they need to be saved by the Lord - and they look being reminded of this. May God help us to be faithful to Him. …
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A new song …
'Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today”' (Mark 5:26). Jesus was special. He was very different from the religious leaders of his day. Jesus changed people. He brought them closer to God. He inspired them. "He put a new song in my mouth, …
‘I Love The Lord… I Will Call On Him As Long As I Live.’
Psalms 116:1-117:2 ‘I love the Lord... I will call on Him as long as I live’(116:1-2). Our love for God is to be a lifelong life. It is to be the love of our life. What are we to do when our love for God grows weak? We must remember His love for us - …
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God – reaching down to us, raising us up to him
"Part your heavens, Lord, and come down ... Reach down your hand from on high" (Psalm 144:5,7). This is Good News for sinners. It's not about us - reaching up to God. It's about God - reaching down to us. We try to raise ourselves up - and we fail, again and again. When God reaches …
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My Saviour and my God
* "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God ... He is my Saviour and my God ... my Rock" (Psalm 42:2,5,8). The living God is our Saviour and our Rock. When we come to Him, our life can never the same again. We were lost. Now, we've been found. We were falling …
The Word of God at the heart of our life
Psalm 119 is a personal prayer of devotion to the Lord. It is clear, throughout this Psalm, that our relationship with God is maintained as we build our lives upon his written Word. What blessing the Word of God has brought into the life of the Psalmist! This is still the way of blessing today …
All the days of my life … and forever …
"Abraham was a very old man, and God blessed him in every way" (Genesis 24:1). We read about Abraham. We think about ourselves, and we join, with the Psalmist, in saying, "Surely your goodness and love (or mercy) will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6). …
Rejoice In The Lord.
Psalms 11:1-13:6 - ''The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven': We 'take refuge' in Him (11:4,1). We are to seek His face, confident that 'when He appears...we shall see Him as He is' (11:7; 27:8; 1 John 3:2). Seeking God's face, we learn to rest in His promises, we …
Burdensome Religion And Joyous Faith
Psalm 1:1-2 Burdensome religion and joyous faith are worlds apart. They are exact opposites. “I have to” – How shallow and superficial is “I have to” religion. The man or woman who thinks like this hasn’t even begun to appreciate the great love of Jesus Christ.What a far cry this is from a truly heartfelt …
"The Lord is my Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1).
Psalm 23:1 * The Lord is my Shepherd;* The Lord is my Shepherd;* The Lord is my Shepherd;* The Lord is my Shepherd. _____"The Lord is my Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1). In Luke 15:3-7, Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep and the loving Shepherd.We read about a lost sheep. We know that we are lost sinners. …
The Glory Of God – It’s All Around Us.
"The heavens declare the glory of God ... " (Psalm 19:1). Look around you. Lift up your eyes. Look to the Lord. Catch a glimpse of His glory, and say, "Thank You, Lord."
What kind of people will we be?
In Psalms 36 and 37, we see the conflict between the righteous and the wicked, the godly and the ungodly. By drawing this radical contrast between these two types of people, God’s Word calls us to make our choice. What kind of people will we be? How will we live? There is no more important …
True Happiness
"I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvellous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I sing praises to your name, O Most High" (Psalm 9:1-2). True happiness comes to us when we are learning to praise God. We think of …
“Into Thy hand, I commit my spirit …”
Psalms 31:1-24- ‘Into Thy hand, I commit my spirit’(5). These words were spoken by Christ as, in death, He gave Himself for our sins (Luke 23:46). For Christ, there was suffering - ‘I am the scorn of all my adversaries’(11). His suffering was followed by rejoicing, the joy of the resurrection - ‘I will be …
There is a Word from the Lord for every part of life’s journey.
Psalm 119:105-112 ‘Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Psalm 119:105). As we journey through life with God and His Word, we discover that there is a Word from the Lord for every part of life’s journey. There is never a time when God has nothing to say …
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Let us worship God …
"Sarah said, 'God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.'" (Genesis 21:6). In Genesis 18:12, we read about Sarah laughing. That time, it was the laugh of unbelief. This time, it's the laugh of praise. She is no longer doubting the Lord. Now, she's praising him. She's rejoicing in …
In the Lord, there is true happiness.
"Righteous people will find joy in the Lord and take refuge in Him" (Psalm 64:10). "You are the One who hears prayers ... You are the One who forgives our rebellious acts ... You answer us with awe-inspiring acts done in righteousness" (Psalm 65:2-3,5). In the Lord, there is true happiness. This blessing comes to …
Who was David’s Shepherd? Who was David’s King?
Who was David’s Shepherd? Who was David’s King? The Lord is my Shepherd – Psalm 23. He’s the King of glory – Psalm 24. Before we can lead others, We must be led – by the Lord.
Sing To The Lord.
May God help each of us to “sing to the Lord.” May we “sing praise to Him.” May we “glory in His holy Name.” May we “rejoice” in Him. May we come to Him in our weakness and find our new “strength” in Him (Psalm 105:2-4).
“His Name shall endure for ever” …
Psalms 72:1-20- Read the words - ‘His Name’ shall ‘endure for ever’(17) - and think of Christ. His Name is ‘the Name above all other names’. He is ‘the King of kings and Lord of lords’(Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 19:16). Read the words - ‘all nations call Him blessed’(17) - , and think of Christ. ‘From …
By Your Power … Victory … Praise …. Give Thanks.
"By Your power You forced nations out of the land, but You planted our ancestors there. You shattered many groups of people, but You set our ancestors free. It was not with their swords that they took possession of the land. They did not gain victory with their own strength. It was Your right hand, Your arm, and the …
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Out of the depths …
"Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord ... " (Psalm 130:1). From the depths to the heights - Our "cry" rises up to the Lord, the God of heaven. We are of the earth. We cannot raise ourselves up to heaven. What we cannot do for ourselves, the Lord will do for …
‘With God, We Shall Win The Victory’ …
Psalm 108:1-13 ‘With God we shall gain the victory. He will trample down our enemies’(13). In ourselves, there is only defeat. We are no match for ‘our enemies’- the world, the flesh and the devil. We are surrounded by the world - ‘The world is ever near. I see the sights that dazzle. The tempting …
Worship The Lord With Joy. Live For Him With Joy.
"Come, let’s sing joyfully to the Lord. Let’s shout happily to the rock of our salvation" (Psalm 95:1). We are to worship the Lord with joy. We are to happy with him, in him and for him. (a) Be happy with the Lord. He is all that we need - "The Lord is my shepherd. I …
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The Story Of God’s Amazing Grace Is Worth Repeating Over And Over Again.
Psalm 106:1-48 We read here about sin and salvation. There is a very realistic description of Israel’s sin - ‘They soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel... They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise... They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord... …
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Save me, O God …
"Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God" (Psalm 69:1-3). Sometimes, we get ourselves into deep …
A new song of salvation and thanksgiving
The world sings its songs. They do not sing the song of the Lord. There is a song which can only be sung by those who have been saved by the Lord. It is "a new song." It is the song of "salvation." Saved by the Lord, we sing to Him our song of "thanksgiving." …
“But You, O Lord, remain forever” (Psalm 102:12).
Times change - but our God doesn't change. He's unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable - in His great love for us. His love doesn't come and go - sometimes up, sometimes down. His love remains forever. This is Good News for sinners. We have wandered far from Him - but He hasn't stopped loving us. He …
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The old, old story of Jesus and his love …
Such a long time ago, we don't need this anymore - that's what the world tells us about the Bible story. What are we to say to this? We agree - and we disagree. We agree - the Bible comes to us from a very long time ago. We disagree - the Bible story is …
Light and salvation
Psalm 27:1-14 The Lord brings light and salvation to us. He is our light and our salvation (Psalm 27:1). When the Lord saves us, He gives us a great desire to worship Him (Psalm 27:4). We are on a journey - a lifelong journey, an eternal journey (Psalm 27:13-14) - “all the days of my …
Plenty of reasons for rejoicing in the Lord …
The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice ... Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name" (Psalm 97:1,12). Psalm 97 begins and ends with joy - rejoicing in the Lord. True joy comes to us from the Lord. We think of who God is - the King of love. We …
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“Praise be to the Lord …”
Psalms 144:1-15 - ‘Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle’(1). The Lord is ‘the One who gives victory’ to His people (10). What a great God we have! He is ‘our loving God, our Fortress, our Stronghold, our Deliverer, our Shield’ (2). What great blessing …
Jesus is the way to victory …
"The Lord crowns the humble with victory" (Psalm 149:4). Victory is not something that we achieve for ourselves. It is given to us by the Lord. He sees that we are defeated. He shows us that we are defeated. He shows us that there is a way to victory. Jesus is the way. We look …
Jesus – our holy and loving Saviour …
'Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? ... He who has clean hands and a pure heart ... " (Psalm 24:3-4). When we look into our hearts, we have to say, "This isn't me." When we look at Jesus, we say, "This is him!" He is our holy Saviour For us, Jesus has entered …
